Column: A proposal to the NCAA for student-athlete payment

Wednesday

The subject is one that I was strictly against as a youngster. I would have told anyone at 15 years of age that student-athletes should not be paid.

The subject is one that I was strictly against as a youngster. I would have told anyone at 15 years of age that student-athletes should not be paid.

Fast-forward to Jordan Honeycutt at 30, and my views have completely changed.

In the wake of many scandals such as the University of Miami mess, Johnny Manziel allegedly taking cash for his autograph and many that we do not hear about, a solution is direly necessary.

My solution is really a simple one and I think it would work as long as everyone understands it.

College football and basketball bring in countless more amounts of revenue to said university than all of the other sports combined.

It is not a “something against you” thing, rather a fiscal fact.

College football and basketball players also, historically, come from more challenging backgrounds financially than athletes of other sports.

I believe that the NCAA needs to establish a rule giving Division-I college football and basketball players a $500 per month stipend in the form of a specially designed NCAA credit/debit card.

Having classes with some of these kids and becoming friends with some of them at Tennessee, I saw that, man, these kids grew up a lot tougher than me and God gave them a different way out through sports.

They can’t help their parents didn’t better themselves, they can’t help that great-granddaddy didn’t own a car dealership or oil company.

Furthermore, the NCAA prohibits any student-athlete from having a job while playing sports.

At a place like Tennessee, where people have two proverbial tattoos on their hearts – an orange Power T first and Jesus second – football is a full-time job for these kids.

Also at Tennessee, the only place I can speak of from experience, the school’s revenue stream and the athletics department’s revenue stream are completely separate.

They keep their own houses, so to speak.

The card would be set up to only be used at diners or restaurants for food, clothing stores and movie theaters so that the players can eat, have a shirt on their backs and, if so inclined, take a young lady on a date to the movies.

I would make the card also operable only at the pump of gas stations to prevent the kids spending the money on alcohol, cigarettes and other harmful things found in convenience stores.

Only those things mentioned would the card work for, and under zero circumstances, could the kids accept any amount of money for anything not listed in the regulations of the card.

This stops some of the impermissible benefits such as rental cars, tattoos, alcohol, houses, vehicles and God knows what else.

Since there is a card in place and a zero tolerance policy, any player caught selling his autograph or receiving any of the above should be immediately expelled from school.

That nips it in the bud.

Making the zero tolerance policy institutes fear in the kids of being expelled and not being able to play football or basketball anymore.

A responsibly guided, somewhat scared young man will not break the law if he knows the consequences are greater than the benefits.

A tuna doesn’t swim up to grab a baitfish if he knows a shark is waiting for him.

I know many athletes of “other” sports would feel slighted and I understand.

Because soccer, volleyball, field hockey, lacrosse, and in college, even baseball, don’t drive the attendance and revenue that basketball and football do, something could be done.

Maybe give them a $200 stipend or allow them to have jobs.

Facts are facts, and I respect all college and professional athletes, but everything should be kept in perspective.

Pay just a little NCAA and a lot of these problems you are having will go away.

Jordan Honeycutt can be reached at 252-635-5670 or at Jordan.Honeycutt@newbernsj.com. Follow Jordan on Twitter @JHONEYnbsj29

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